A wind chill advisory is in effect until 1 p.m. today, causing morning temperatures to feel more like negative 15 degrees, Gangat said. “Those (morning) temperatures will slightly increase through the day and max out around 12 degrees,” he said.

But the wind chill will leave it feeling like 5 below zero throughout the entire day, Gangat said. Temperature will still feel like the single digits even after the wind chill advisory is lifted, he said.

This frigid weather is just an arctic cold front, Gangat said, noting that temperatures are about 10 degrees warmer than they were during the Polar Vortex that came through the first week in January.

Health risks associated with cold weather should still be taken seriously, Duquesne University’s Dr. Khlood Salman, an associate professor of nursing who specializes in public health, said in a prepared statement.

Salman explained that hypothermia is when “the body’s core temp drops by 1.8 or 3 degrees.” Additionally, wind burn is when “cold wind removes the top layer of oil from the skin” and frostbite is “localized damage to skin and tissues because of freezing.”

Exposure to today’s cold temperature could result in those serious conditions, Salman said.

“We’re in Pittsburgh and it’s January,” Salman said. “Anyone who doesn’t dress well for the weather will be at risk for hypothermia and effects from the extreme cold.”

Salman identifies high risk individuals as “the elderly (65 and older), young children and infants, those with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and other conditions which affect the blood vessels, homeless, outdoor workers, pregnant women, and those who live in poor housing conditions.”

To prevent health risks associated with the cold, Salman advises that you “dress in layers, wear warm socks, gloves, hat and scarf (to cover your head and nose).”

She also notes that if you have to stand in the cold for a prolonged time, it is important to move around to maintain body heat.

As of Tuesday evening, several local schools announced two-hour delays. For a full list of cancellations and alternative schedules, visit timesonline.com.

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